Forest fire breaks out again in Bzal, Akkar

Firefighters are struggling to bring a  forest fire in Bzal, in Akkar, northern Lebanon, under control, our correspondent in the area reported Saturday. The blaze, thought to have been brought under control on Friday, began to spread again on Saturday, our correspondent added.

Describing the blaze as "our of control," the crews on the ground — which include the army, which mobilized a helicopter; the Civil Defense; the Akkar Trail association; and the Union of Municipalities in the area — said winds hitting the area are largely responsible for its rapid spread.

The fire had already destroyed more than nine hectares of forest on Friday, our correspondent added, and fire-fighting teams had still not managed to bring the blaze under control by 7 p.m. Saturday, as fears mounted that it could spread further during the night.

The fire spread rapidly to several neighboring localities on Friday, and the response had been complicated throughout the day by the rapid winds, sometimes reaching 50km/h, and difficult access to the fires due to the rugged nature of the terrain. The flames spread to a wooded area between the villages of Habchit and Qabeit. They even surrounded a house, prompting residents to call for help. The fire brigade's intervention eventually prevented the flames from spreading further into residential areas.

Less than a week ago, another major fire broke out in green spaces and then spread to the Tall Jbeil forests, on the outskirts of the village of Mechmech in Akkar (North Lebanon), before being brought under control.